India, Jan. 26 -- Seriousness of an offence against a child is not diluted by financial support to the family, the Delhi high court has said, while denying bail to a man accused of raping a 12-year-old girl.

In his petition, the accused said he was falsely implicated since he was allegedly in a consensual relationship with the girl's mother. He added he was financially supporting the family, which the girl resented. The accused claimed the girl's mother even visited him in jail.

The Delhi Police opposed the bail, saying the girl consistently supported the prosecution's case in her statements recorded before them and a magistrate, which lends credibility to her version.

A bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma on January 14 said the grav...